NULL SPACE - Part 14

The ship drifted through space with no clear destination. Inside Jeran and Null were still waiting for Silvia to get better. However now that she had completed the primary treatment Null was begining to become restless. Eventually she asked Jeran, “Since you don’t have a destination I was wondering is there was a place that you could bring me.”

Jeran looked at her quizzically, “It is unusual for you to suggest something like that and weren’t you the one who suggested that we should lay low for a while. Either was, were was it that you wanted to go?” Said Jeran.

Null fidgeted a little bit before saying, “I want to visit the planet of Androst.” She then remained silent for a while not volunteering any more information.

Eventually Jeran spoke again, “Is there a particular reason you want to go there or do they just have a good selection of product this time of the year?” Null could tell that he was trying to get more information out of her.

“It is painful for me to say, and it is better for you to see it for yourself. Nothing I say will do it justice… though there might not be any justice in the galaxy for it.” Said Null regretfully. “However I will understand if you don’t want to bring me. It will most likely be dangerous and there is a good change that we will run into ANGEL, but it is still something that I have to do.”

“It is that important is it?” Asked Jeran and Null nodded in response. It was something important too her and she had delayed going there for longer then she had wanted. True there wasn’t much of a timeline, after a hundred years a few more weeks or months wouldn’t make much of a difference. Still if they waiting too long the ANGEL that was following them might learn about it and that would make everything more difficult.

Jeran went toward the cockpit and Null followed him, as they walked Jeran said, “Sure, I do own you after all. I might as well work to repay what I owe.” He sat down at the main ship terminal and pulled up some maps. He did not know where Androst was so he had to look it up. It took him longer then he thought it would to find Androst but he eventually located it. “This planet is fairly close to the galactic hub, it is fairly busy there and that means a larger chance of us being caught. Is that alright with out.”

Null nodded, “Yes, that is fine. I knew it would be dangerous going to Androst… but I still need to go there. Will you still help bring me there? And you don’t need to use my curing your daughter as an excuse, after all you resuced me from the Hexion Sphere, it should be me that is repaying you.”

“Alright, I’ll beginning plotting a course to Androst. It will take us a least a week to get there, will that be alright.” Asked Jeran as he began inputing the coordinates into the terminal.

“Yes, that will give me enough time to finish my treatment of your daughter. If you think she would be in too much danger in the ship she would probably even be in good enough condition to come with us when we get there.” Responded Null.

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It was several days afterward the Silvia began to realize that she really was getting cured. She had been awake more and more in the days after she had first woken up. She had initially been confused as to where she was and to who Null had been. She had laughed at the explanation that Jeran and Null had given her saying that it was impossible. But as she began to feel better then she had in years she started to realize that they weren’t lying to her and they really have found a way to cure her. It was a shock to her at first, she had been so used to slowly dying that she hadn’t even thought it was possible for her to get better.

She began regain her life and dreams, although after so long without hope she wasn’t certain what to do with the life she was unprepared to live. She had begun to ask question about what happened while she was sick and she slowly got the story filled in for her. It logically should have scared her to know that ANGEL and the Myth military could be coming after them but that seemed to pale in the light of a near death experience.

With Silvia wake the ship became much more lively and crowded. Jeran was more of a silent type so he and Null hadn’t spent that much time talking, however with Silvia there more things were happening. Null was happy to have someone more lively then Jeran on board the ship and because he had been away from her for so long Jeran was getting dragged into the conversation too.

The days passed as they flew closer and closer to Androst. However for the moment the three of them were enjoying their lives.

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“Are you sure they are going to be here?” Asked General Solvar. He was talking to Zolurious through the screen. Solvar didn’t know where Zolurious really was but presumably he was somewhere nearby so that he could come to their aid if the need arose.

“Oh yes, she will go there.” Said Zolurious, “There are no records indicating that she had been there since her release and records indication that she would likely go there. Besides they know that somebody is tracking them so they don’t have many places to go. They can not stay on a ship forever and you are positioned in the most likely place they will arrive at.”

Still Solvar didn’t like it. This place gave him the creeps and he didn’t know why anybody would want to come to a place like this. Zolurious had ‘advised’ him to come here however and things might go wrong if he didn’t follow that advice. “If you say so…. Still… I know I wouldn’t come here for a vacation.”

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Days had passed and the ship with Null, Jeran, and Silvia was arriving at Androst. Jeran was looking at the records for the planet. It had once been quite populated but now it was almost abandoned. However according to the data there didn’t seem to be any real reason for it. People just seemed to be moving away and then nobody moved back to replace them. For a planet near the galactic hub that was unusual. However there didn’t seem to be anything else unusual about the planet.

As the approached the planet Jeran had to find parking outside the city because he didn’t have enough money to afford a real parking permit. He hailed the planet for premission to land and while he was doing that Null leaned over his shoulder. The voice come over the communication frequency. “Welcome to Androst, may be inquire as to what the nature of your visit is today?”

Before Jeran could speak Null responded for him, “We are mourners.” Jeran didn’t know what that meant but the person on the other side seemed to.

The man seemed to hold his breath for a second before responding back, “I see, You may have permission to land. I’ll get you permission to land over by the site. There are a couple other visitors so please mind them.” Then the com cut out and they were alone in the cockpit.

“What was that about?” Asked Jeran looking over his shoulder at Null. He then paused for several seconds in surprise. Null’s normally rainbow hair was now a standard shade of brown. Instead of letting her answer he previous question he asked another one, “What did you do to your hair? And why?”

The usually talkative Null just turned around and began walking away, “I changed it for today. It will be better this way. You will understand soon.” Jeran hoped he would understand soon because he certainly didn’t understand. Null had probably used her nano-machines to change her hair but he could only begin to speculate as to why she would do it.

He didn’t have the opportunity of go after her to find out more because he needed to land the ship on the planet. It was an unusual landing because the landing spot that he had been given seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. The only thing distinctive was that there was another ship parked there too. Jeran landed his ship next to the other one before getting up and going to look for Null and Silvia.

He found them talking in the bunk room, it seemed that Silvia was as confused as to what was happening and why Null had changed her hair as Jeran was. When Jeran entered Silvia turned to him and asked, “Hey dad, Null won’t tell me why we are here or why she changed her hair color. Don’t suppose you have any idea why.” Her tone was fairly informal and almost spunky and Jeran was happy to hear her sounding so normal.

Jeran shrugged, “Really, I have no idea either. Null is being unusually closed mouthed about it. All she keeps telling me is that I will understand when I see it but I don’t know what it is… though I probably will when I see it.” Silvia looked disappointed that she would have to wait to find out what everything was about but Jeran accepted that as part of life, maybe it was a sign of being older.

Null stood up and left without saying anything to them. Jeran and Silvia followed her assuming that was what they were supposed to be doing. Outside of the ship there was a small worn path that seemed to lead into the mountains. Null continued to lead them up into the mountains and the walk quickly turned into a hike. After about an hour Null raised a hand to stop them.

“We are almost there.” She said. “All I can do is ask you to remain calm and quiet. Please, for me.” Jeran and Silvia didn’t really know what it was they should remain calm about but they nodded in agreement anyway. “Alright,” continued Null, “This way.”

It was cold as the walked farther along the path. Eventually the trail opened up and they could see what was in front of them. There was a city in the mountains… a city made of glass. It wasn’t a very big city but it was still there. Jeran didn’t know what to say and just stood there in amazement. He walked closer to the buildings and saw it had marvelous detail. There were enormous glass buildings filled with glass furniture and even glass people inside them. They looked like they were going about their daily life except frozen in place. There were glass cars on the streets, some of them broken. In fact father off Jeran thought that one of the buildings had collapsed leaving piles of large shards of broken glass.

It was a surreal unbelievable sight. Null was right about having to see the city. But what was it that had made Null want to come and visit this city. They followed her as she made her way to the center of the city. There erected in the center was something that was not glass. It was a large stone obelisk. On it was inscribed words. Null had knelt down and pressed her hand on the stone. Jeran approached closer and read what the obelisk had to say.

‘This stands in memory of all that was lost when overwhelming power fell into the hands of one who could not control it. Let this stand as a reminder to those who still live.’

Jeran turned to Null and asked, “What does this mean?”

She looked at him with cold, sad eyes. “It is just like it looks like. There was once a city that stood here, yet one day a great power was released here which turned the entire city and all it’s residence into glass.”

Jeran had trouble comprehending what she was saying, that was impossible… wasn’t it. “But who did such a thing?”

Null turned away from Jeran and looked back at the stone before whispering, “I did.”